Wallabies coach Michael Cheika insists he won't be gifting Taqele Naiyaravoro a Test cap this season to keep the in-demand Fiji-born winger from fleeing Australia.
Cheika on Friday bristled at the notion, saying Naiyaravoro would have to earn a national call-up like anyone else hoping to play for the Wallabies.
"Playing for Australia is a special thing," he said.
"If we're going to belittle it by doing things like that, then I shouldn't be doing the coaching job."
Cheika made his stance crystal clear the day after Naiyaravoro was granted an Australian sports visa that frees the tackle-shedding NSW Waratah to travel internationally with the Super Rugby champions.
Naiyaravoro missed two Waratahs games in New Zealand earlier this season due to visa restrictions.
But being free to come and go now means Naiyaravoro - who's been drawing comparisons with Jonah Lomu following his tackle-busting try against the Western Force last week - can play for Cheika in the Waratahs' key upcoming matches against the Lions and Cheetahs in South Africa.
Cheika, though, pointed out that the lifting of restrictions hasn't altered Naiyaravoro's position when it comes to any possible Wallabies call-up.
"It's irrelevant. Nothing changes. It's just purely for his travel," he said.
The 23-year-old has a contract with the Scottish Rugby Union to join Edinburgh next year but is believed to have a get-out clause should he be capped by the Wallabies.
"I wouldn't cap anyone just for that. It's too important a thing, really," Cheika said.
"You don't want to give it away. If he earns the right to play, he'll get selected, like any other player that's playing on the Super Rugby tour now or who qualifies according to the status playing overseas.
"Any of those players will be considered if they're playing well.
"But I'm certainly not giving it away so I can keep his eligibility."
Having said that, Cheika concedes he'd be crazy not to consider the 195cm, 120kg powerhouse for this year's Rugby Championship and World Cup.
Naiyaravoro is the Waratahs' equal leading tryscorer in 2015 and is fast emerging as a cult hero for the titleholders after bumping off three defenders to score a spectacular five-pointer against the Force.
"It would be naive of me not to have a look at him," Cheika said on FoxSports' Rugby HQ program.
"You'd have to say he's right up there. He's a profile that we don't have, that big type of winger.
"So he's right up there challenging with the other wingers that have been performing and who have performed for Australia already on last year's spring tour."
Cheika said Naiyaravoro's performances for the Waratahs over the last five rounds of Super Rugby and then hopefully the finals would determine if the former Wests Tigers lower-grade rugby league player was up to Test standard.
"You can see by the way he's been playing that he takes his opportunities when they're presented," Cheika said.
"He's still got a lot to learn in rugby at the top level and the requirements in both attack and defence.
"But when he's got the ball in his hands with a bit of room to move, he's a pretty devastating player.
"But like anyone too, he's going to get marked heavier and teams are going to go after him, so it's how he grows from that."
Share
